Wheeled plow, &amp;c.



H-,S. DICKAINSON. WHEELED PLOW, &c.

APPLICATIONl rlLEp 1AN.26. i915.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

massa,

` iE PATENT llilllllllrl.

HARRY' S. DICKNSON, 0F MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MOLINE PLOW COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WHEELEID PLOW, dw.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dept. t, i911 t'.

Application led January 26, 1915. Serial No. 4,433.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known Jthat I, HARRY S. Dickinson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock lsland and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheeled Plows, &c., of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to agricultural implements, and has reference more particularly to means for guiding the machine in its travel. The invention is designed with special reference to wheel plows employing two guide wheels the turning of which at an angle t0 the line of' draft, will cause the machine to travel in a corresponding direction. -ln plowing lin orchards, it is desirable to plow as closely as possible-to the tree trunks, but by reason of the overhanging limbs of the trees it is not possible to approach the tree trunks as closely as desirable without injuring the foliage. The present invention is therefore designed to enable the direction of travel of the plow to be promptly and conveniently changed in order to avoid such obstructions and enable the ground to be plowed close to the tree trunks and when the obstruction is passed the plow may be instantly returned to its former line of travel. My invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, by way of example as applied to a gang plow of the disk type having guide wheels at the forward portion of the frame, respectively on opposite sides, one of the guide wheels serving as a furrow wheel, and the other as a land, wheel, and which wheels are mounted so that they may be swung 'about upright axes to vary their angle relative to the line of draft, but it will be manifest to the skilled mechanic that the invention is applicable to other forms of plows and to other types of agricultural implements, without departing from the limits .of my invention; and further it will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts exceptA in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.` l

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view looking fromA the rear of a gang plow, showing my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same,

with the parts in position to cause the plow to turn to the left or landward.

Referring to the drawings:

1 represents a plow frame comprising two plow beams 2 and 3 iixedly connected together, and having iixedly connected with their forward ends, a transverse frame bar 'l extending in a furrowward direction, the said beams and frame bar constituting in effeet a single rigid frame structure, to which the draft is applied by means of a draft device 5 connected to the forward end of said structure. The plow beams in the present instance are equipped with plowing disks 6, and the rear end of the frame is supported by means of a trail wheel 7, over which is situated a drivers seat 8 sustained by the frame. At its forward end the framel is supported by two guide wheels 9 and 10, the

guide wheel 9 serving as a land wheel, and the guide wheel 10 serving as a furrow wheel. The guide wheel 9 is mounted on a guide wheel support 9 in the form of a wheel stem having a horizontal arm, 0n

which the wheel is mounted, and having a vertical arm which is journaled in a bearing ina casting or block l1 xed to the frame at the land side of the same. The guide wheel 10 is likewise mounted on a guide wheel support 10a, in the form of a wheel stem having a horizontal arm on which the wheel is mounted, and a vertical arm journaled in a bearing in a block 12 fixed to the outer end of the frame bar 4:, the construction being such that the wheel supports are movable about upright axes,

`in which movements the guide wheels carried by said supports will be likewise swung about upright axes and will incline relatively to the line of draft to the right or left, according to the direction of movement of the supports. 13 represents a horizontal transversely extending foot lever which is pivoted between its ends on an upright axis as at 14, to a supporting plate 15 iixedly connected to the frame of the machine, the outer ends of said foot lever being provided respectively with foot rests 131 and 13b. A. fore and aft extending operating rod 16 is jointed at its rear end to said foot lever at one side of its axis, and has its forward end jointedvto the inner end of an arm 17 which extends outwardly and has its outer end fixedly connected with the upper end of the vertical arm of the guide wheel support 10a. A fore and aft extending operating rod '18 is jointed at its rear end -to said foot lever at the opposite side of the axisv of the latter, and has its forward end jointed to the inner end of an arm 19, which extends outwardly and has its upper end fixed to the upper end of' the vertical arm of the guide wheel support 91. By this construction, the foot lever isoperatively'connected with the guide wheel supports in such manner that when the lever is'ro'c'lied on its axis, the guide wheel supports will be rocked on their vertical axes, and the guide wheels carried'thereby will be turned relatively to the fi-'aine to the right or left 'according-'to the direction of movement of the lever. The parts `are so constructed and so'related tliat'when the foot leverl occupies thefpositionshown in `Fig. l atright angles to the line of draft, the two'guide'wheels will be maintained parallel with the line of draft vandthe machine will travel straight 'ftfu-ward. if, however, the foot lever is 'shifted on its axis to the inclined'position A.sl'iown'in Fig. 2 with its left hand end for- "ward, the lguide wheels will be turned to the left and the machine will be causedft'o travel to the left; and if the foot lever is Vshifted to the 'opposite inclined position withthe right hand end forward, theg'uiide wheels will beturned to the right and the 'machine`ivill'travel in a lCorrespondin'g direction.

The footvlever is inaintain'ed'norlnally in the positionshown in Fig. l'toinsure the travel' of the machine straight `forward in theline ofdraft, by means of 'afoot operatedloekii'ig latch, in the forni of ale- `veil- 20"pivote fl betweenits ends to a sup- 'porting 'bracket 4plate 2l fixed to the foot "lever and extending rearwardly therefrom, tl'ieli'n'ner 'end of4 said lever'bei'ng provided 'with 'a nose 2 0 adapted to en in therear edge ofthe' supporting platel ibefore 'alluded`to,the position of this notch `relative totho nosey on the latch being such, "that, 4when the parts are interlocked, the Ifoot lei'ierlwill extend at right anglesto the "line of draft,- and the guide wheels will be gage in a notch maintained straight forward parallel Nwith the line of draft. rlfhe latch is acted on by av sprnig'Q'Obconnected respectn'iely with the ii'iner lend of the saine and with the foot vleyer, which spring tends' to ,hold the nose `of' the latch 1n engagement with the edge of thesupportin'g plate,'s0 that it will auto- 'inatically engage in the notch in'said plate land lock the foot lever when the latterre- :turns to its right angular-` position "rela- 'tively to `the line of draft. The outer end G0V :which extends in rear of'andin proximity to the foot l'restla of the foot"lever,so that the driyenwill be"V enabled byhis foot to "r lease' the latch and operate' the footlever.

efthe latch islprovided with a foot Areist 20 Init'he' 'operation' of the inac'l'iin'e with't'he roche ,hel'dloeked parallel withtheline of draft.

Inthe event of its being' desired to quickly deliector guide the machine for instance to the left to avoid an obstruction, the driver, by .pressing with his right footagainst-'the i'ioot rest of the locking latch, will release the foetileveig"antlfthen by pushing forwardly with the left foot on the foot rest 13b lthe foot lever will be rocked its axisto'the ineli'ired'position slio'fwn in li'gfthe result being that, throiiglrthpinediuni'ofith'e devices connecting the "fo'ot lever 'with the giiide `wh`eel supports 1the llatter 'will be l on their vertical "axes and the Iguide wheels'will both blel turn'edtto theileft. After theobstruction'lias'been passed, the driver pushes forwardly against the foot restof the locking' latch,l which actionwill rockI the "feet x lever back 'to its i former y' position and by relievii'ig lthe pressure 'in the latch, f the latter "wll be permitted to' automatically inteilock with the supporting lplate and the 'part-s `willlbe i loclfeld in their 'i former i normal position. 'It' itdesi'redito guideltherna oppositeto that shown in Fig.' 2, which1 action will', as before tu'rnthe lgiiide wheels,

ibut in the opposite direction, viz., to :the right.

When "the obstruction has been passed, the "driver 'releases "the ilatch and "presses forward"with'his'fot on the 1foot l rest 13b 'and the leverl will berturn'e'd t'o its frm-mer' right-angelnpesincn, ma the iaith `allowed to again interlock *withithe "plate anfd loelr the' parts inV position.

j ltl is seeni therefore that the construction isfsimple in forrn,fentirely under the ecm- 'v'enient 'control' ofi the'y driver occupyln'g the drivfers seat; and bythe operationof the "foot level-"as ldescribed the-ina chine' may be 'cansedy to promptly; turn to the right or" left 'as the ease maybe, and may be as promptly "returned i to its former normal po'sition 'in 'thev line of dra-ft. By reason of thel fore an'd aft extending rods "which directly connect 'the' footllever with the inner ends'of the arr'is on tjleiguide' wheel supports, the' Inovei'n'ients of1 the tootE lever'are1 transmitted" `directly t'o` sadjarms, andlunder the' most favorable 'conditions for'eliective "andprompt 'l action on the -"guide `ivh'eelfwitl'i'cnit the` exertion'`of"i'i'I'1d'ifie force. Itwillbe'observed that thewo'on'stmicti'on 'is not complicatediby' independent connections between the' guide wheel supports 'as "heretofore 'employedp the only connection between sa-id supports :being alfa-1gb the mec-imm er ai@ fooi-lever afd the fore and aft cperatingrods, whichfeonr-r'iectionsservei the t'wofoldl 'purpose of zposii iso tively turning the wheels to the right or left, and of insuring their operation in unison if left free to swivel, as when the locking latch is released.

The foot lever is limited in its movements on the supporting plate l5, by means of two stop shoulders 15:L and l5b on said plate at the front edge of the same, the stop 15 being in position to be engaged by the lever when the latter is swung to its eXtreme position to the left as shown in F ig. 2, and the other stop 15b being in position to be engaged by the lever when the latter is swung to its opposite eXtreme. This limitation of the movements of the lever, will by reason of its connection with the swiveling wheel stems, limit the swinging movements of the two wheels.

I-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim is:

l. In combination with a frame, guiding wheel supports mounted thereon and movable about upright axes, guide wheels carried by said supports, a plate iiXed on the frame and provided in its rear edge with a notch, a horizontal transversely extending foot lever pivoted relatively to the plate and provided with foot rests, connecting means between the foot lever and the respective guide Wheel supports adapted by the movements of the foot lever to swing the guide Copies of this patent may be obtained for wheel supports about their axes and turn the wheels at angles relatively to the line of draft, and a foot operated locking latch pivoted to the foot lever and formed at its end to ride along the edge of the plate in the swinging movements of the lever, and acting to automatically engage in the notch in the plate when the wheels straighten out in the line of draft.

2. In combination with a iframe, guide wheel supports mounted thereon and rockable'about upright axes, guide wheels carried by said supports, a supporting plate fixed to the frame` and provided at its forward portion with oppositely disposed stop devices, a foot lever pivoted to said supporting plate and operatively connected with the guide wheel supports for rocking the latter, and adapted in its two eXtreme positions to contact with said stop devices and limit the movements of the lever and the connected parts, and a foot operated locking latch mounted on the foot lever and adapted to releasably interlock the said supporting plate.

In testimony whereof, I have aliixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY S. DICKINSON."

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

